Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors M Blair-Park and N Rushton.

Under the Code of Conduct members are reminded that in declaring interests you should make clear the nature of that interest and whether it is a disclosable pecuniary interest, registerable interest or other interest

There were no interests declared.

The Chair of the Council made the following announcements:

All present were invited to join the Chair of the Council in observing a minute silence in memory of the Duchess of Kent, who sadly died at the age of 92 on the fourth of September.

Members welcomed Gill Pinnington, who had been the Reverend at Christ Church in Coalville since 2008 and was now retiring. The work she had undertaken during her tenure was acknowledged and on behalf of the Council, the Chair presented her with flowers.  Several Members said a few words recognising Gill’s service to the community, and Gill addressed the meeting highlighting her memorable moments during her time in Coalville.

An update was provided on the transformation of a former public toilet into the Memorial Workspace as part of the Coalville Regeneration Programme.  The success of the project was credited to the passion and expertise of council officers, in particular Natasha Collins who led on the project.

The Chair of the Council had issued the latest recipient of the staff Star Scheme with a certificate for her achievements in her role with the housing service.  Kylie Orwin was congratulated on her committed focus, clear communication and in becoming a real leader.

The announcements were concluded with an update on the events that the Chair and Deputy Chair of the Council had been attending around the district since the last Council meeting.

Members are reminded that under paragraph 11.1 of part 3 of the Constitution, questions can be asked of the Leader and Cabinet Members without notice about any matter contained in any address.  Questions shall be limited to five minutes in total for each announcement.

There were no announcements.

To receive questions from members of the public under procedure rule no.10.  The procedure rule provides that members of the public may ask members of the Cabinet any question on any matter in relation to which the Council has powers or duties which affect the District, provided that three clear days’ notice in writing has been given to the Head of Legal and Support Services.

One question was asked which is set out below with the response.  The questioner was invited by the Chair of the Council to ask a supplementary question which is also set out together with the response.

Question from Siobhan Dillon

“There are places in Coleorton that regularly get used for fly tipping.  Usually, once reported the Street Cleaning team remove the rubbish within five days and are very reliable in this regard.  However, when a tip contains potentially hazardous material, such as asbestos, external contractors are required and the time for pick up is not clear.

Currently, Coleorton has a tip of such material, reported on 23/07/2025, still remains there and there has been no communication with the Street Cleaning team to inform when the tip will be cleared.  This is attracting more tipping in the area.  I also understand that at least one other parish is having a similar issue.

What are the arrangements and expected processes made with the external contractor and the District for these fly tips?

Response from Councillor M Wyatt

“I fully acknowledge the frustration caused by the delay in the clearance and lack of communication from the Street Cleansing Team in this particular location. Unfortunately, recent staffing sickness and a shortage of qualified HGV drivers to operate the necessary machinery have placed significant pressure on our services. As a result, we have had to prioritise household waste and recycling collections, which has regrettably impacted on our ability to respond to fly tipping as promptly as we would like.

For this report we are liaising with our contractor to confirm its removal, and we have been advised this will be completed by Friday 19^th September

In terms of the process for fly tipping reports:

• Fly tips reported on public land are investigated for evidence that could lead to prosecution of the perpetrator.

• The District Council works with an external contractor for hazardous removals, but availability is subject to resource constraints.

• Communication between teams is usually coordinated through scheduled updates, but we recognise that this has not been consistent in recent weeks, due to staffing constraints explained above.
• We are actively reviewing our service delivery and contractor arrangements to improve response times and ensure better communication with affected areas.”

Supplementary question and response

Siobhan Dillon referred to her recent enquiry into the lack of road sweeping and the similar reasons given to the infrequency as to those provided by Councillor Wyatt in response to this question.  Therefore, it was asked that as sickness absence and vehicle failures seemed to be a systemic issue, did the council have plans to address the matter so that regular road sweeps could be reinstated in the future.  Councillor M Wyatt confirmed that plans were in action to address the issue.

To receive members’ questions under procedure rule no.11.  The procedure rule provides that any member may ask the Chairman of a board or group any question on any matter in relation to which the Council has powers or duties which affect the District, provided that three clear days’ notice in writing has been given to the Head of Legal and Support Services.

One question was asked which is set out below with the response.  The Member was invited by the Chair of the Council to ask a supplementary question which is also set out together with the response.

Question from Councillor R Sutton

“The Kegworth councillors became aware via Facebook of a letter dated July 8^th from this Council to a local business, and signed by Cllr Wyatt, extolling the business as a “shining example of community spirit, environmental responsibility and hospitality” backed up by the statement “I believe your work is already making a difference in Kegworth”.

While good news is always worth celebrating, could he supply a list of all businesses officially commended by the Council in this way during 2025 by members of the Cabinet or senior officers, stating, for future reference,   the criteria for selection of those businesses and the Council process leading to the selections and letters, including any ward member, officer, local council or community group involvement at the various stages.”

Response from Councillor M Wyatt

“This was a letter sent by myself to the Roadside Café, A6 London Road, Kegworth, DE74 2EY in my capacity as the Cabinet Member for Communities and Climate Change to recognise the great work that I had personally witnessed the operator carrying out to keep the area in the vicinity of the café clean and tidy.

I can assure Cllr Sutton that there is no political motive here at all. I just wanted to recognise and acknowledge those in our district who go above and beyond for their community and customers which should be welcomed by everyone.

This is a one-off letter for which there is no criteria and is the only one I have sent to date.   I believe the operator put my letter up in the café and posted it on social media which is of course a decision for them.

I am not aware of any other officers of the Council having sent any such letter during 2025.”

Supplementary question and response

Councillor R Sutton questioned the transparency of the process, the awareness of the senior leadership and raised the potential conflict of interest that Councillor M Wyatt my hold in relation to the business owner or its staff.  He also suggested that the letter should not have been sent.   Councillor M Wyatt confirmed that he had no financial or personal interest in the business and would not hesitate to write to business owners congratulating them should it come to his attention that they had gone above and beyond for their community.

To consider the following motion received from Councillor M Wyatt:

‘This Council notes that since being elected last year, there have been a series of Government's u-turns including on welfare reforms and winter fuel payments.

This Council notes that Labour did not reference abolishing two-tier local government in its manifesto and therefore has no mandate to proceed with this fundamental change.

This Council believes that local district and borough councils provide essential discretionary services including economic development, community safety, welfare support and town centre events amongst others.  These will be at risk, should districts be scrapped and merged with upper-tier councils, whose budgets face ever increasing pressures because of the failure of successive governments to properly address social services and SEND funding shortfalls. 

The economic case for moving to unitary councils is not proven, with estimated costs of transitions running into many £millions and no clear evidence from areas, where councils have moved to unitary status, that substantial savings are being made.

It is also clear that across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, there is no consensus on how local government reform should proceed with competing bids, and disagreement over city expansion, with the Labour Mayor of Leicester City proposing large areas of neighbouring districts being moved into the city without the consent of the communities affected.

Proceeding with local government reform will be divisive, will cause huge disruption and will mean councils are focused on managing transitions rather than delivering services. Therefore, this Council calls on Sir Keir Starmer and the Labour Government to perform a u-turn on Local Government Reform and drop its plans.

I would, therefore, call on the Council to instruct its Chief Executive to write to the Prime Minister to set out the Council's position and to communicate this with other local authorities in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.’

The Chair of the Council referred Members to the motion as detailed within the agenda papers and invited Councillor M Wyatt, who made the submission, to speak.

Councillor M Wyatt spoke and then formally moved the motion.  It was seconded by Councillor A Woodman.

A full debate ensued in which Members spoke both in support and against the motion.  Some disappointment was shared that the motion had been presented so far along the process when a submission on the preferred approach towards Local Government Reorganisation had already been agreed across the region.  However, it was made clear that although ongoing support towards regional proposals would continue, there was no disadvantage to writing to government to express the Council’s dislike for Local Government Reorganisation, which reinforced views of the North West Leicestershire residents. 

The motion was put to the vote and the result was tied.  Therefore, in accordance with the Council’s Constitution, the Chair of the Council exercised his casting vote.  The motion was CARRIED.

RESOLVED THAT:

The Chief Executive write to the Prime Minister to set out the Council’s position and to communicate this with other local authorities in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

To consider the following petition submitted by Bernadette Whelton

Background

We emphatically oppose the proposal to build 242 houses on the land off Torrington Avenue and Hall Lane – Site Reference C19a. Our reasons are:

Environmental Impact: It threatens our green spaces, natural habitats, and biodiversity. Destruction of trees and open land will negatively affect air quality and wildlife. A negative impact on our water drainage and sewage systems.

Overcrowding and Infrastructure Strain: Increased traffic causing congestion. Adding a link road to meet with the site C19a from the proposed site C19b (700 houses) off Stephenson Way site 19b would further exacerbate traffic congestion.  More pressure on already overburdened services, especially healthcare.

Loss of Community Character: Development would erode the separation between Whitwick and Coalville. Whitwick risks losing its identity as a distinct village. It diminishes the historical and cultural integrity of the area.

Noise and Construction Disruption: Long-term noise, dust, and disruption during construction. Ongoing noise pollution from increased traffic, affecting health and quality of life (stress, sleep issues).

Inappropriate Location: The area lacks the infrastructure to support such large-scale development. Housing would be better situated near industrial units and existing road networks that can accommodate an increase in traffic.

Action petitioned for

We the undersigned, are concerned citizens who urge our leaders to act now to remove the land at Torrington Avenue, Whitwick - Site Reference – C19a – the build of 242 houses from the Draft Local Plan.

There are 1005 valid signatures on the petition.

As the petition organiser was not in attendance, in accordance with the Petition Scheme, the petition failed and therefore was not considered at the meeting.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 17 June 2025.

Consideration was given to the minutes of the meeting held on 17 June 2025.

It was moved by Councillor P Lees, seconded by Councillor J Simmons and

RESOLVED THAT:

The minutes of the meeting held on 17 June 2025 be approved and signed by the Chair of the Council as a correct record.

Report of the Director of Resources

Presented by the Corporate and Finance Portfolio Holder

Councillor K Merrie, as Corporate and Finance Portfolio Holder, presented the report.

The report was noted.

Report of the Director of Resources

Presented by the Corporate and Finance Portfolio Holder

Councillor K Merrie, as Corporate and Finance Portfolio Holder, presented the report to Members and moved the recommendations.  It was seconded by Cllr R Blunt.

Members were referred to a revised appendix A, as circulated at the meeting.  Officers were commended for their hard work in completing three years of annual accounts in the preceding 12 months.  A discussion was had on previous budget ambitions which lead to the Leader of the Council inviting the opposition group to participate in the early discussions for the setting of the 2026/27 budget.

RESOLVED THAT:

a)    The supplementary estimates detailed in paragraph 2.2, which were   above £25,000 and externally funded, be approved.

b)    The revised capital programmes as detailed in appendices A and B be        approved, subject to Cabinet approval of the capital supplementary    estimates on 23 September 2025.

Report of the Scrutiny Committee Chairs

Councillor R Blunt, Leader of the Council presented the report and invited the Scrutiny Chairs to address the meeting.

During discussion, the work undertaken by the Scrutiny Committees and the support provided by officers in the preceding 12 months was acknowledged.  Members noted that there were still further improvements to be made to the scrutiny process, commencing with the current trial of the Cabinet/Scrutiny Protocol.

The report was noted.